Mohammad Khazaei appointed director of FIFF

Mohammad Khazaei has been named the new director of the upcoming edition of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF).

The announcement was made on Sunday by Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Khazaei, who currently serves as the director of the Cinema Organization of Iran (COI), will retain his position while assuming the new role.

He is a well-known figure in the Iranian film industry, having produced acclaimed movies such as ‘Emperor of Hell’ and ‘Damascus Time’.

However, Khazaei is best known for producing the 2012 movie ‘The Golden Collars’, directed by Abolqasem Talebi. The movie depicts a conspiracy orchestrated by the British intelligence service to instigate riots following the 2009 Iran presidential elections, with the involvement of Iranian expatriates primarily recruited from the Mojahedin-e-Khalq terrorist organization.

Khazaei's extensive experience in film festivals includes his roles as the president of the 15th International Resistance Film Festival in 2018 and the 30th Fajr International Film Festival in 2011.

MM/MG